Lamu Island


Lamu Island.  Lamu town is on the easternmost corner
      So after several days of exploring the Naivasha area, watching the animals, and schmoozing with the British retirees, we took a change of scenery and headed for the coast.  Destination: Lamu Island.

      First was another road trip back to Nairobi, to the airport.  One aspect of life in Nairobi that I found remarkable (at least, as viewed from the road) was all the foot traffic.  All up and down the highway, thousands of pedestrians where evidently commuting to work.  Some of these pedestrians were WAY out in the middle of nowhere.  How far were they walking, I wondered?  I suppose they have few alternatives.

 
On board the dhow.  Ah, life is good!
     Four of us:  Joan, Emily, Kate, and myself, boarded a two-engine, propeller-driven plane for a one-hour flight to Lamu.  I love flying these puddle-hoppers!  Every other seat has a window view, and they fly nice and low so you can actually see stuff on the ground.  We landed at an airstrip on Lamu that was so small that the runway doubled as a taxiway. 

      On Lamu Island, motor vehicles are not allowed.  The primary mode of transportation is via water vessels.  So as we and the other passengers exited the tiny airport, we walked straight down the walkway directly to the boat dock, where there waited our charter boat and its crew.  There is nothing quite like getting off an airplane and walking straight to your waiting boat!

My wife and sailing companion

     The boat was called a dhow.  It is a sailing vessel, made entirely of wood, about 25 feet long, with a wide beam.  It has a forward-leaning mast, about 20 feet tall, with a boom attached at the top, and a single triangular sail.  In sailing circles it is called a "lateen" rig.  It's reasonably efficient and can sail upwind, but is difficult to tack or gybe.  A nice big shady bimini covered the cockpit.  There was also an outboard motor. 

      Dhows have sailed these waters for centuries.  It was rather spartan, compared to the yachts I've sailed on, but it would be our home for the next day.  The crew consisted of Capt. Elias and his two assistants, who would sail the boat and prepare all of our meals.
Our very own island, all to ourselves!


      We shoved off from the airport dock and headed northbound up a narrow channel for a few miles.  Our destination was a coral reef at the mouth of the bay.  It was a most pleasant and relaxing journey, featuring lots of sun, interesting scenery, and copious quantities of drinks!



      The coral reef had an amazing diversity of color, and lots of big submerged boulders to swim around.  But actually, there was not a lot of fish down there.

 
Kate & Emily as the sun sinks low
     After snorkeling around for a while, we headed to a nearby deserted island with a lovely, white sandy beach.  We anchored close by and waded ashore.  There were shady pine trees, and endless beach to be combed.  We found many perfect seashells!   Elias and his crew gathered driftwood and prepared a bonfire.

      The sun sank low, and we settled in for the night as the boat rocked gently.  The water came up to the dunes on the island.  Tidal currents ripped past the dhow.  Night fell, and the sky was ablaze with stars.  The Milky Way shined clearly.  An hour later, the full moon rose.  Beautiful beyond description!

      In the middle of the night, I awoke to the strange sensation that the rocking motion had completely stopped.  I looked - all the water was gone!  We were high and dry!  This place has, like, eight-foot tides.  Clearly, I am not in the Gulf of Mexico.

      Come daybreak, the tide had reversed and all the water came back.  Whew!  Elias and crew pulled up the anchor and we headed back down the narrow channel we had traversed yesterday, past the dock at the airport, past the village of Lamu, and anchored at the beach across from the town of Shela, for some more fun and relaxation.

Girls on the foredeck
      Capt. Elias and crew prepared some incredible meals for us aboard the dhow.  It was amazing that they accomplished this, considering that the "galley" consisted of nothing more than a charcoal grill, some cutting boards, an ice chest, and a handful of utensils.  It was fun having the dhow as our home boat, especially when the wind was favorable and we would go under sail power alone.  But if you come to Kenya and plan on spending a day or two aboard a dhow, here are some things to be sure to bring along:

·         toilet paper

·         napkins

·         eating utensils

·         towel

·         lightweight cover for sleeping, and a small pillow

     And of course, in this tropical environment one should always have sunscreen and a broad-brimmed hat.


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